From: Ray Byrne <ray@in4media.co.uk>

Date: January 30, 2011 5:34:59 PM MST

To: Astro_IIDC@yahoogroups.com

Subject: Re: [Astro_IIDC] Flea 2 & Hyperstar on an Edge HD 8"

Hi Mark,

Forgive me for saying this but you seem to be technophile, you love your gadgets and software and stuff which is fine but you have to have an end goal.

If you want to get great DeepSky images I think your first choice out of anything else is a GREAT MOUNT. Forget about focal reducers and fastar and hyper-whatever.

When you get this mount, this (I'll never need another) mount you will be most of the way there. Save your bucks up for a Paramount use what you have for now and be patient. Don't be in such a hurry the universe isn't going to disappear on you. Get some good lunar images with your digital camera you didn't achieve that yet. Then use your fleas and scorpions etc. and get some planetary and Solar stuff done. Keep pushing get better and better at it, do the best you can with what you have (which is a damn site more than I have). Do build an observatory because it really does take the A-ache out of it all and you can be ready to go with everything you need where you need it.

Slow down, Calm down. just go out and use your eyes once in a while or have a scan with a pair of "see-furthers" *

* I believe an Australian euphemism for binoculars

ATB

Ray

On 31 Jan 2011, at 00:08, Mark Gaffney wrote:

Hi again Milton,
What you were saying about C-mount cameras being mountable on
Hyperstar lenses & the possibilty of using reducers has sent me back
to my original idea of upgrading (maybe in 4-5 months) to an Edge HD
8''.
How feasible is it to achieve good images of DSO`s with my colour Flea
2 (which is the 7.4 micron one)?
Some months ago I tried a 30 second unguided exposure with the Flea 2
but were guided imaging to become a real option with the CGEM who
knows what might be possible..(?)
I have my Nikon DSLR for use with a reducer at the other end of my
present C9.25 (I have an Antares f6.3 one) or a reducer (either the
one Brian Allan is now using or the proposed Edge reducer) with the
Edge 8"..
For Hyperstar I have the option of a (possible) QHY 8 on this scope
(but not the Nikon as the camera body blocks too much of the front
aperture), my present Flea 2, Scorpion 20SOM or possibly a PGR
Chameleon which I understand is quite reasonably priced.
I haven`t checked on the range of the Chameleon`s for a while & to my
knowledge PGR dosen`t post prices of their cameras on the website..
Again there`s the possibilty of a Mono Chameleon (if they`re
available..?)..
I have an Atik manual filter wheel already (never used) but no LRGB
filters yet..
I also have a new Skywatcher ED80 to begin practising guiding with..!
If the weather stayed as it is here I could be making real progress
each night but of course the first consistently good weather we`ve had
in months has co-incided with me not having a working mount..!
When the CGEM is all payed for & arrives I want to build a basic shed
& pavers observatory (possibly with removable roof panels) as it`s the
consistent heavy rain & the scope being out under covers which has
probably played havoc with the CG-5`s electrics..

Mark.